My favorite part of this program was interacting with the people of the country. For example, I had a wonderful host family who spoke only Portuguese. I was afraid that my limited knowledge of the language would be detrimental to my experience. Contrarily, I knew a lot more than I gave myself credit for and learned a great deal from simply interacting with my family. This gave me the confidence to do things like order food, taxis and ask questions whenever I needed anything. I am truly grateful for them.

The most rewarding elements of the program were being able to speak with many of the influential figures of the state of Bahia and the country of Brazil. These are experiences many people may never get to have. Learning from those who helped shape a culture is invaluable.

The cultural experiences were amazing!

On this program I learned that as a student it is important that you can adapt to a different culture quickly. The student should not go to a different country and expect to be able to act in the same manner as they do in the United States. This skill of adapting and having a general level of respect for the culture will make the experience a lot easier.